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May 31, 2006

G50: Blue Jays 8, Red Sox 5

"Drop Vernon" anyone?

Vernon Wells continues to destroy Red Sox pitching. In 10 games against Boston this year, Wells is 18-for-45 (.400) with eight home runs and 17 RBI. (Against Josh Beckett, he is 6-for-12 with four homers.)

After his third home run last night, he received what he said (although I find it hard to believe) was his first curtain call:

I didn't know what I was doing. I just went out and tried to do what I see people on TV doing.

It was a muggy night at Skydome and the roof was open. In my three previous games, the roof had been closed. Because the GO trains leave only once an hour, we left the game in the middle of the eighth. That's usually the unforgiveable baseball sin to me, but we really didn't want to wait around Union Station for an entire hour. So I "missed" Wells's third shot.

Down 7-5 in the top of the eighth, Manny Ramirez (celebrating his 34th birthday) batted with runners at first and third, but Justin Speier struck him out. BJ Ryan came in to face Jason Varitek and throughly overmatched him, fanning him on three pitches. (If Boston had tied the game or taken the lead, we would have stayed.)

Chris Snow notes that if Manny retired today, he'd be one of only six players ever to hit .310 or better with at least 400 homers and 1,400 RBIs. The others: Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial and Jimmie Foxx.

Snow also says that it was three years ago yesterday -- May 30, 2003 -- that David Ortiz joined the Red Sox lineup on a full-time basis. Who could have possibly imagined what would transpire in those three seasons... In that time, Ortiz ranked tops in the majors in RBIs (416), ahead of Albert Pujols (387) and Ramirez (377), second in extra-base hits (263) and homers (131), behind Pujols (279, 141), fourth in slugging (.604), after Barry Bonds (.753), Pujols (.657), and Ramirez (.608), and fifth in doubles (126). Ortiz: "That's how we roll."

Since signing with the Sox, Matt Clement has pitched 12 games against the Yankees and Blue Jays, allowing 76 hits and 41 walks in only 58.2 innings and posting a 8.13 ERA.

Gage: And what a week it should be with the Yankees in town, followed by the Red Sox. First of all, which is the better team? ...

Parker: I still think the Yankees are better. As long as they have Derek Jeter on that squad, I'll always think they're a better team. I know, I know, their pitching hasn't been what it should be, but they're hovering around first, they haven't even caught fire yet.

Gage: With that rotation, can they catch fire?

Parker: I'm not sure, but they will get pitching help before it's all over. Of that, I'm certain.

No Loretta tonight (foot) Coco's back in the leadoff spot and the Alex's are in the 8/9 spots.

David Pauley's getting the ball tomorrow. Van Buren looks to be headed back to Pawtucket since they aren't putting Wells back on the DL. Of course after Pauley's start we're going to call another reliever up, could it be time for Craig Hansen?

My buddy, Nellie, a rabid Cardinals fan, went into a catatonic state when I called him with the news that #21 had resigned with Houston.

While I had relished the notion of Clemens returning to Boston for (yet another) pre-retirement run (especially given the shambles that our pitching staff is currently in), I, too, am relieved he didn't go back to the MFY.

To Cards fans, Clemens' decision to resign with HOU suddenly place a major NLCS-caliber obstacle in their campaign to get back to the WS.

As for us, with Clemens off the table it becomes imperative that we find a quality RHP or LHP ASAP, else BOS will be SOL PDQ.

I initially liked the idea of a Rocket re-entry,but the way he has been holding this endless beauty contest among the four teams is offensive (a good commissioner would ban such things), and like so much related to Roger (his fake retirements, his phony devotion to family, his professed loyalty to Boston, his super-jock personality generally)I'm sick of it. Houston's over-paying, and even with the Sox rotation troubles, I'm glad he's going elsewhere.

The game nearly swung our way in the 8th as Lowell, Youk, and Ortiz crushed "about 1,100 feet of foul balls" (RemDawg), any of which could have tied the game if fair.

BJ Ryan looked almost effortless out there, toying with the last four BOS hitters. As brian pointed out, the rest of the Jays' pen will strike fear into the hearts of no one (OK, maybe KC), and any future success we hope to enjoy against this team will need to come before the 8th/9th.

Tonight's game is set up as the classic reverse lock: Ted Lilly, noted Bosox killer, against David Pauley, making his first start in the bigs. In the face of such odds, it's almost certain we shouldn't win, but just as certain that we will.

While we continue to founder in TOR, it's a concern to see how the MFY have taken care of the best team in baseball the last two nights, a team that awaits us on the next step of this important trip.

In taking two straight against DET without Sheffield and Damon in the line-up, NYY has either exposed the "Tigizz" (Remy) as a team that has yet to meet stout competition and has built its record against the weaker sisters of the AL, or the MFY as a team whose leadership (Jeter, Torre) and line-up are such that you can never count them out.

Regardless, after two nights of being hammered in Canada (by the Jays, Les Nouveau Daddies), a win in today's finale would provide some much-needed mojo as the team heads to Motown.

If DET and TOR win tonight things could get ugly in a hurry when we get to Detroit and New York, with a trip along the lines of 3-8 or even 2-9 not out of the realm of possibility.

Detroit has in fact been playing over its head (the entire AL Central is wildly over-rated) and the Yankees have had a lot of .250 hitters get hot when they needed it (though I fear that Cabrera is the real deal.)

By the way, "puke alert" is right. The translation of that "Jeter is God" sentiment is "I am an idiot." Bulletin: the Yankees HAVE caught fire, and it's allowed them not to crash and burn, staying close while the Sox were missing Crisp. This is the BEST they can play. Wait until the injuries catch up with them, Bernie stops playing like 10 years ago, the team realizes that Posada, Damon and Sheff will be in and out while Unit and Wright will be off and on all season, and that Andy Phillips and Terrence Long are regulars.